U.S. Sees Broadband Speed Jump

Average fixed broadband speeds have smashed the 50 Mbps barrier for the first time ever.

(CCM) — Broadband speeds in the U.S. have exploded over the last 12 months, resulting in average download speeds for fixed line broadband exceeding 50 Mbps for the first time, according to a report from speed testing company Ookla. The figure represents a speed increase of over 40% compared to this time last year. Uploads saw an even bigger boost in speed, improving by more than 50% to an average of 18.9 Mbps. The speed gains are partly due to fiber optic deployments by companies such as Google Fiber, Xfinity, and AT&T, according to Ookla. Mobile internet has also enjoyed massive performance gains, with average download speeds rising over 30% to 19.3 Mbps over the last year. Average mobile upload speeds jumped 28% to 7.9 Mbps in the same period.

However, a recent Broadband Progress Report found that 10% of Americans do not have access to the FCC target speeds of 25 Mbps downloads and 3 Mbps uploads. In cities, this figure falls to 4%, but in rural areas, almost 40% of people lack access to broadband at these speeds. Globally, the U.S. is ranked 20th in fixed broadband internet performance and 42nd in mobile internet performance, falling behind world leaders like South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong.